If you’re in the market for a portable yet powerful laptop, chances are it has been easier to find one that fits your needs, in recent times. With Intel’s 7th Gen Kaby Lake processors incorporating improved integrated graphics and Nvidia’s recently launched Max-Q architecture, power users are spoilt for choice with options from Asus, Acer, MSI and most major laptop manufacturers.
Gigabyte’s version of the powerful and portable laptop comes in the form of the Aero 15 and 15X. For the unfamiliar, the previous iterations of the Aero 15 have received rave reviews for its performance and portability, and the 2018 version looks like it will not disappoint.
The 2018 edition comes equipped with the 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8750H sporting the new Coffee Lake architecture that offers 6 cores and 12 threads of multitasking power. It also incorporates Nvidia’s Max-Q architecture to comfortably fit a GTX 1060 (or GTX 1070) into its slim chasis. Memory options are 8 or 16 GB DDR4 RAM, expandable up to 32 GB. Gigabyte has certainly wasted no time in bringing the latest tech to the market.
Storage capacity-wise, the laptop comes with a 512 GB m.2 PCIe SSD. However, there are two m.2 PCIe slots on the chipset, both of which can support up to a 1 TB SSD each.
The laptop comes with the same beautiful 15.6″ 1080p edge-to-edge display, running at 144Hz and X-Rite Pantone calibrated right out of the box.
Portability is what Gigabyte is trying to sell with the Aero series, and with the laptop weighing in at approximately 2.04 kg, under 1.9 cm thick and armed with a 94.24 Wh battery, it is definitely built for productivity on the go.
| Series | Aero 15 | Aero 15 X |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Pro | Windows 10 Pro |
| CPU | 8th Gen Intel Coffee Lake Core i7-8750H | 8th Gen Intel Coffee Lake Core i7-8750H |
| Display | 15.6″ Thin Bezel FHD 114Hz 1920×1080 | 15.6″ Thin Bezel FHD 144Hz 1920×1080 / 15.6″ Thin Bezel UHD 144Hz 3840×2160 (Not Available in Singapore) |
| Memory | 8GB/16GB DDR4 2666 2 slots (Max 32GB) | 8GB/16GB DDR4 2666 2 slots (Max 32GB) |
| Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics 630 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 GDDR5 6GB |
Intel UHD Graphics 630 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 GDDR5 8GB |
| Storage | 2 x M.2 SSD Slots | 2 x M.2 SSD Slots |
| Size | 356.4mm (width) / 18.9mm (height) / 250mm (depth) | 356.4mm (width) / 18.9mm (height) / 250mm (depth) |
| Weight | 2kg | 2kg |
| Battery | Li Polymer 94.24Wh | Li Polymer 94.24Wh |
| Retail Price | S$3,199 | $3,799 |
Timothy is a freelance photographer and fellow geek. His professional work spans many genres and he shoots on film for leisure.
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